TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler's upset bid against No. 17-ranked St. Edward's came up short Saturday night after the Hilltoppers erased an eight-point second-half deficit and finished the game with a 12-6 run to rally for an 85-80 win over the Patriots.

UT Tyler scored 14 consecutive points midway through the second half to take an eight-point lead, 66-58, with 8:30 left in the game, but St. Edward's responded shortly thereafter with a 16-5 run to regain the lead for good. The Patriots pulled within a point, 81-80, with just over a minute left, but UT Tyler turned the ball over on both of its possessions in the final minute.

Soloman Thomas led a balanced scoring effort with a team-high 17 points, as UT Tyler featured five players in double figures. St. Edward's was led by B.J. Maxwell's game-high 20 points and 9 rebounds.

UT Tyler drops to 1-6 overall and 0-6 in Lone Star Conference play, while St. Edward's improves to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the LSC.

Turning Point: UT Tyler erased a six-point deficit midway through the second half with a 14-0 run, giving the Patriots a 66-58 edge with 8:30 remaining in the game. Less than two minutes later, Emanuel Gant answered a Daniel Venzant three-pointer to keep the margin at 8 points, 69-61, with 7:04 left. St. Edward's responded with a 16-5 run, with a pair of B.J. Maxwell free throws giving the Hilltoppers a 77-74 lead with 2:16 remaining. Maxwell added another four points down the stretch to help St. Edward's protect the lead the rest of the way.

How It Happened: St. Edward's jumped out to an early 10-3 lead, but that early 7-point edge was the largest lead it would enjoy the rest of the night. Micah Fuller drilled a three-pointer midway through the opening half to cap a 10-2 run and give the Patriots their first lead since scoring the first basket of the game. UT Tyler later answered a Jake Kafka three with 3:30 left in the half with a 14-7 run over the final 3:04 to take a 37-36 halftime lead.

The Patriot maintained the lead for the first five minutes of the second half until a Kijana Love three-pointer tied the game at 49-49 with 14:37 left in the contest. A B.J. Maxwell three on the next St. Edward's possession gave the Hilltoppers a 52-49 edge, and Daniel Venzant scored the final three points of a 12-3 run that extended the lead to 58-52 with 12:26 to play.

Darius Alford rebounded a Maxwell miss and finished the break with a layup that sparked UT Tyler to 14 consecutive points, turning that six-point deficit into a 66-58 lead with 8:30 left in the game. Venzant hit a three-pointer on the next possession to snap the Hilltoppers' scoring drought, and Emanuel Gant kept the lead at eight by knocking down a three with 7:04 to play. However, St. Edward's scored 16 of the next 21 points to regain the lead, and the Hilltoppers never trailed again. UT Tyler got within a point, 81-80, after a Soloman Thomas jumper in the paint with 1:08 left, but St. Edward's forced turnovers on the Patriots' final two possessions of the game in the final minute to hang on for the win.

UT Tyler Standouts: Solomon Thomas led five double-figure scorers for UT Tyler with a season-high 17 points, and Milan Szabo also notched a season-high with 14 points. Da'Zhon Wyche added 15 points while Micah Fuller and Emanuel Gant tallied 11 points each. Gant also posted his second double-double of the season with 11 rebounds to go with 1 block and a game-high 3 steals.

St. Edward's Standouts: B.J. Maxwell led all scorers, finishing with 20 points while Daniel Venzant added 18 points along with a game-high 6 assists. Jake Krafka (13 points) and Kijana Love (11 points) also reached double figures, and Logan Cook hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler's one-point halftime margin was its first halftime lead against a Lone Star Conference opponent this season… The Patriots also registered its highest scoring output in an LSC game with 80 points… Both teams finished with 31 rebounds, although UT Tyler grabbed 9 offensive boards which led to an 11-5 edge in second chance points… The Patriots also generated a 38-26 edge in points in the paint and 16-13 margin in points off turnovers… The score was tied 8 times and the lead changed hands 13 times in the contest… St. Edward's shot 52 percent (27-for-52) overall and 43 percent (12-for-28) on three-pointers… UT Tyler shot 47 percent (25-for-53) overall and 31 percent (5-for-16) on three-pointers.

What's Next: UT Tyler is on the road for the next two weeks, visiting Midwestern State for a pair of games Jan. 15-16 and Texas A&M-Commerce the following weekend (Jan. 22-23).